The health and safety framework is a good one, but like anything else it has to be managed and implemented well. The stupid stories you hear are nothing to do with legislation, just people in charge being dim.

Ah remember the days when our forebears worked for the owner, paid rent to the owner, got paid in tokens they could use only in the factory owners shops. Today they have to educate us, not work our children and worse they cannot even kill us even though it is cheaper than providing protection

That the mast climber vid? The bit right at the top is bonkers!
Even though he's got two safety clips its just pegs that they're slipped over!
Mind you- the one with russian kids doing pull-ups near the top of one is probably worse..

The issue as I see it is that because the laws surrounding H&S (guilty until proven innocent) are the wrong way round, it's become an arse covering game. The people who end up the buck stopping with them are generally admin drones, who don't have a full understanding of the tasks being carried out that they are trying to make safe so go overboard with the risk assessments.

You only need compare the 'date of guilty knowledge' and the date actions were taken to prevent injury tonworkers in a few cases to see that without modern health and safety employers have generally carried on harming their workers without outside pressure.

On the coal health scheme that paid compensation for copd caused by coal dust British coal was considered to have been aware of the risk of copd in miners from june 1954 - respirators were not then compulsory at the coal face until the 1980's

Asbestos is slightly different but the date of guilty knowledge is now thought to be in the 1930's for some industries and in the 1960s for domestic settings. The stuff wasnt banned totally until the 90s. Due to the length of time it takes to develop mesothelioma we still havent hit the crest of the wave for that condition. And still there are debates about exposure rates - particuarly teachers who work in old poorly maintained buildings containing asbestos.

As I work in sheffield we have many clients who are the victims of industrial accidents - people would be horrified if they read some of the statements and accident reports - short cuts in working methods, faulty equipment etc. I used to be shocked reading how some employers behaved asuming things like that didnt happen in this day and age, but I have seen so many cases where there still appears to be little regard for the safety of the workers I sometimes wonder how much has changed.